Currency exchange

Currencies may be exchanged in banks or some hotels, but the rates might not be too favourable. For better rates rather visit a currency exchange office (Polish name: KANTOR).
There are at least two ATM (Polish name: BANKOMAT) at the campus and plenty of them in the city center, that will allow you to withdraw zloty with your credit or debit card.

The current exchange rate is approx. 1 Euro = 4.3 PLN.

Credit cards

Most restaurants, hotels, and shops will accept credit cards - Visa, Mastercard. Some of them will also accept American Express, JCB, Eurocard, though it is good to keep cash in reserve for pocket expenses.

Tips and bargaining

Tips are not mandatory in Poland and there is no obligation to give them. It should only be done when you are satisfied with the service. The usual amount of tips reaches 10% of the bill, in some better restaurants it is automatically added to the bill as the payment for service. Tips for hotel service may be between PLN 5 and 20, depending on the standard of the hotel in which we stay. There is no custom of tipping taxi drivers in Poland.

Bargaining over the price is not avery popular in Poland. In shopping centres and chain stores the customers almost never negotiate prices with the sales personnel. However, buyers may negotiate prices at bazaars, markets or fairs, particularly if they want to buy handicraft products or antiques.

Prices

Prices of groceries articles in Poland are generally lower than in Western Europe. Shopping is the cheapest in supermarkets and at markets, while small shops are more expensive.